Ballot box



Sept. 1,1931} a HOL'BERT 1,82 1,710,

' BALLOT BOX Filed July 28, 193

INVE N T Patented Sept. 1, 1931 PATENT cares I THOMAS HOLBERT, F WORTHINGTON, WEST VIRGINIA BALLo'r BOX 7 Application filed Jul as, 1930; serial No. 471,112.-

This invention relates to ballot boxes, and it hasfor itsprimary object to provide a simple and practical form'of ballot box Which shall possess various advantages over the common forms of ballot boxes now in use.

A further object is to provide, in association with a main ballot box, a second, or auxiliary, ballot box of a smaller size than said main box and adapted to be nested within the latter for convenient transportation from headquarters to the place of voting, it beingdesigned that the boxes shall be employed interchangeably at the voting place, one for receiving the votes as cast while the counting board is counting votes from the other. i

' Withtheseand other important objects in I view, the invention resides in the features of construction, arrangement of parts and combinations of elements which will herein:

after be fully described, reference being had to the accompanying drawin s, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of the invention; b Figure 2 is a top plan view of the invention, showing in elevated position the flap employed for closing the ballot-entering slot;

' Figure 3 is an under side elevation of saiz cover; V

Figure 4- is a section on line 4 -4, Fig 2, showing the nested arrangement of boxes; andv Figure 5 is an enlarged detail section on line 55, 4.

Referring to said drawings, ldesignates the front wall and 2 the rear wall. of the body of a ballot box of rectangular form. Suitably hinged to the upper portion of the rear wall 2 is the rear edge portion of a lid or cover 8 whichconstitutes a closure for said body, and rigidly mounted upon the front edge portion of said cover is the member 4 of a hinge-like device which has as its other member a hasp 5. Said hasp is designed to be disposed vertically against the front wall of the box, having therein a slot 6 for the reception of a staple for having a padlock 7 or other securing means attached thereto, said staple being rigidly mounted on said front wall.

'Provided in the cover 3 at a suitable point, preferably adjacent to the rear edge, is a' longitudinally extending slot 8 through which folded ballots to be deposited within the box are introduced. Disposed on the under side of the cover and slidable into and out of closing relation to said ballot-entering slot 8 is a plate 9, the opposite lateral edges} of said plate being received and movable within ways 10 afforded beneath the rela tively facing flanges. of parallel transversely disposed L-shaped guides 11 which are rigidly mounted upon the under side of said cover. A depending lug 12 fixed on the under side of thecove r in an appropriate position constitutes a stop against which a flexible tongue 13 carried by the front edge portion of the slide-plate 9 may seat, or abut, when said plate occupies its retracted position wherein it closes the ballot-entering slot 8, said lug 12 and said tongue being so interengageable for preventing return shifting of said slide-plate from its slot-closing posi tion except when the cover 3 is raised, permitting access to the tongue for lifting the latter out of abutting relation to said lug.

An upstanding lug or pin 1 fixed on the top face of the slide-plate 9 projects upward through a transversely extending slot 15 in the cover and provides means'whereby shifting by hand of said plate may be effected for retracting the latter and also for advancing said plate following disengagement of the tongue relative to the stopl2. The tongue I is suficiently flexible that, in advance movement of the slide-plate, it will ride over said stop following hand elevation thereof relative to said stop.

Said slideplate is designed primarily as a temporary closure for the ballot-entering slot 8, as during the time that the box is being transported from the voting room to the vote-counting room.

As a precaution against tampering with the slide-plate 9 following shifting of the latter to the position in which it closes the ballot-entering slot 8, and also to provide a more permanent closure for said slot, as when ballots arebeing transported to and from headquarters, a coverlate or flap 16 is provided,

the same having hinged connection with the cover 3 at a point rearward with respect to said slot 8 and being adapted to be secured in closely overlying relation to said slot and the pin 14. In. the closed position of said flap, a staple 1'? carried on the under side of its front end projects through an aperture 18 provided therefor in the cover 8 and is adapted to be secured against withdrawal from said aperture, as by a readily applicable and removable wire clip 39 of loop form.

A second. ballot box 20, which may have a construction identical with that hereinbefore described, may be provided,,the same beg; ing of such smaller dimensions that for convenience in transporting from and to headquarters, it may be nested within the first described box, as shown in Fig. l, there being suflicient clearance between the covers of the 1? boxes ween so nested to provide space for ballots. A suitable carrying handle 210i? loop term is borne by the cover 3 of the larger box. A flexible strap Q2 adapted to be disposed in closely embracing relation to the larger box is provided, the seine including a buckle 23 by means oi which its ends are attached; FOllOWlil!" closing of the ballot.- box, said strap is adjusted in place, being passed between the handle and the cover 3 to prevent slip ng thereof ortward ever an end of the box. A seal 24 of paper or other suitable material, which may bear the par of election oiiicials, is applied by means of a suitable adhesive substance to the rap, one end portion of such seal bein d to the free projecting end of the st .p and the other end portion thereof being RillXF-(l to an adacent bodv portion of 'd strap, as shown in Fig. 1. Obviously, said seal must be broken to pern'iit access to the box and thus con stitutes means whereby tampering with the box may readily be detected.

Vhat is claimed is 1. A ballot box comprising a box body, a hinged cover for said body, means for securing said cover in closing relation to said body, said cover having therein a ballot-entering slot, means carried on the under side of said cover shiftable to and from closing relation to said slot, a pin carried by said shiftable means and projecting outwardly through the cover whereby movement of said shiftable means maybe etlectec, a flap hinged on said cover and adapted to be moved to and "from overlying covering relation both to said slot and to said pin, and means engageable with said flap and accessible only when said cover is raised whereby said flap is secured in such covering relation.

A ballot box comprising a rectangular box body, a hinged cover for said body, means for securingsaid cover in closing relation to said body, said cover having therein a ballotentering slot means on the under side of said cover shit'table into and out of closing relation to said slot, a flap hinged on the outer side of said cover and adapted for movement to and from overlying closing relation to said slot, and means accessible only when said cover is raised whereby both said flap and said slidable means are secured in closing relation to said slot.

3. A ballot box comprising a rectangular box body, a hinged cover for said body, means for securing said cover in closing relation to said body, said cover having there in a ballot-entering slot, a flap hinged on said cover and adapted for movement to and from overlying closing relation to said slot, said flap having a'member which, in the slotclosing position thereof, projects inwardly through said cover, and means engagcable with said member for securing said flap in its said closing position, the last mentioned means being accessible only when said cover is raised.

4. A ballot box comprising a rectangular box body, a hinged cover for said body, means for securing said cover in closing relation to said body, said cover having therein a ballot-entering slot, a flap hinged on said cover and adapted for movement to and from overlying closing relation to said slot, said'flap having a member which,in the slotclosing positionthereof, projects inwardly through said cover, means engageable with said member for securing said flap in its said closin position, the last mentioned means being accessible only when said cover is raised, a strap adapted to be secured. in encircling relation to said box and said cover following closing of the latter, and a break able seal applied in connecting relation to opposite end portions of said strap.

5. A ballot box comprising a rectangular box body, a hinged cover for said body, means for securing said cover in closing relation to said body, said cover having therein a ballot-entering slot, a flap hinged on said cover and adapted for movement to and from overlying closing relation to said slot, means accessible only from within the box whereby said flap is secured in closing relation to said slot, and temporary closing means for said slot consisting of a plate shiftably mounted on the under side of said cover and having a pin-like member projecting upwardly through the latter and adapted to be grasped for imparting to said plate shifting movements.

In testimony whereof I ailix my signature.

THOMAS B. I-IOLBERT. 

